DUSTY
Australia, 1982, 88 minutes, Colour.
Bill Kerr, Noel Trevarthan, John Stanton, Carol Burns.
Directed by John Richardson.
Dusty was one of the best Australian films of 1982. Based on a 1946 book by Frank Dalby Davison (author of the classic Man-shy), the film's story of sheep farmers and a part-dingo kelpie, has been updated to the 80s. The film thus has the atmosphere of memories of pioneering days with the changes to the 1980s.
The film follows the novel faithfully. It has techniques to highlight the ‘character’ of Dusty and to show the feelings and instincts of the part-dingo – subjective shots of sheep, a dog running through the countryside, unsettling wind blowing through trees. The danger for this kind of film is that it can become a variation on the Lassie series – and, by and large, the film avoids this. Audiences will certainly respond favourably to the picture of the dog.
The film also focuses on the character of the old drover Tom – played expertly by veteran Bill Kerr (earning him an AFI Best Actor nomination). Kerr can be excellent in comic roles (his many years with Tony Hancock) and in serious roles e.g. Gallipoli, The Year of Living Dangerously. His portrait of the old drover, a loner, a man of hard work and integrity, is one of the best Australian performances. The supporting cast and the colour photography of the Victorian countryside are also excellent features. Script is by Sonia Borg who wrote Storm Boy and co-authored the significant television series on aboriginal women, Women of the Sun. A film for younger audiences which will satisfy adults.
1. The classic status of Davison's book? His skill in portraying animals and instincts and feelings? Portrayal of nature, work, human beings? The translation of his novel to the screen? Updating it from the '40s to the '80s?
2. The quality of the colour photography, the Victorian countryside, the terrain, the flora and fauna, the sheep? Scenes of work? Nature and beauty? The portrayal of the homestead, camping, the country town and its way of life? The musical score?
3. For what audience was the film made: impact on the Australian audience, international audience? Age group: children, adults? A satisfying film for the widest audience?
4. The tone of the film and its sympathies: observation of animals, farm life, hard work, integrity? The outlaw animal and its crises? The authenticity of the film? Its feeling, sentiment? Excitement? The ironies of
judging the 'character' of an animal by human comparisons?
5. The Australian quality of the film: the portrayal of the sheep properties, sheep and cattle grazing, ordinary home life, the town: the pub, the sheep trials, the dance? Themes of education and technical change on farms? The codes of country people? Animals? The part-dingo and its symbolic value: the outlaw blended with the domestic, appearances, reality, instinct and wildness, bonds of affection, breaking out, destruction, persecuted, faithful? Finally free? The symbol of the free spirit?
6. The importance of the prologue and the information about dingoes, facts and the suggestion about legend?
7. The background of dingoes and their outlaw status, hostility of sheep graziers: the visual appearance of the dingo, wild, mating, the pups, the mauling and killing of the sheep, the stalking of the dingo and its elusiveness, being shot?
8. Dusty and his origins, the litter, the young man finding them in the cave, his selling the pup to Tom under false pretences? (The young man at the trials wondering there was any trouble, his later chasing Dusty on the horse and going over the fence – appropriate comeuppance!)?
9. The portrait of the family: Harry and his owning the farm, hard work, his sheep, concern about them, tough, loving his family, hopes for Jack and arguing about his going to college, looking down on Tom and thinking he was a no-hoper, coping with the dingoes killing the sheep, interest in Dusty, support of Tom at the sheepdog trials, a growing obsession about the destruction of the sheep, the confrontation with Tom about Dusty, Tom's leaving but Harry's pleading with him, finding him dead at the end? The sketch of a farming type? His wife and her strength, work around the house, bringing up her children, regard for Tom, looking after Dusty? Her understanding Tom and Dusty? Jack and his work, admiration for Tom, wanting to drove, going to college, the return for the holidays, working with his father, Dusty as his, watching the trials, giving the dog to Tom, his concern for Tom, finding Dusty and the dead Tom, the final decision to free Dusty? The little boy and his delight around the house, with the dog? The meal sequence? The sheepdog trials? The dance? A credible portrait of a sheep-farming family?
10. Bil1 Kerr's portrait of Tom: a man of age, dignity, hard work, the loner, his living quarters as his own, his meals with the family, the response of each member of the family to him – especially Jack and his desire to drove with him, his reciting Clancy of the Overflow – but Jack realising that he would never go droving with Tom? At the pub, buying the dog and questioning the owner, giving the dog to Jack, the growing bond between pup and man, love, care, training? Watching Dusty grow? Companionship? His success at the trials and its effect on him? His decision not to sell? His being at the dance, well-dressed, isolated, leaving early? Concern about Dusty missing? At work and seeing him return? Willing to shoot Dusty if he was a killer? His affection and his not being able to kill Dusty? His going: fair dealing from the family, the cheque, the horse and sulky, Mrs Muspratt and her support, working for the Pattersons in cattle country, his enjoying life in the bush, the visit to the pub, meeting Harry? The companionship with Dusty? His getting wet, the sadness of his death? The old man as pioneer, mythic character? The strong and lonely Australian?
11. Dusty portrayed as animal and as character? Origins, sequences with him as a pup, saved from being shot, sold, the truck-ride, the dust and his fall out of the truck, his name? Styles in which he was filmed – close-ups, movement etc.? Establishing Dusty as a character? Audience response to dogs? The dog like and unlike human beings? In the family? Tied up in the yard, free? Rounding up the sheep, winning the sheep trials? The wind in the leaves illustrating instinct, the subjective shots of imagination and stalking sheep? Freedom, the wool in his mouth, killing the sheep? Sitting beside the victim? Escaping, returning and going off with Tom? The cattle-country and the easy life with Tom? The return to the farm, the danger, leading the rescuers to the dead Tom? Jock letting him go free? His instinct, roaming his territory? Audience sympathy with him – yet the caution in his being part dingo?
12. Railey Jordan as the lone hunter, seeing him stalking the dingoes and their eluding him in the trees? Being paid for killing? Stern demeanor? Friendship with Harry, the tense interchanges with Harry's wife? His going to Queensland? Coming back to stalk Dusty? Failing to kill him? Leaving him be? The sketch of the lone hunter?
13. The gallery of minor characters and their contribution: the young man who found and sold Dusty, his barmaid girlfriend and her not telling Tom the truth, the people at the dance, at the trials, the men wanting to buy Dusty, Mrs Muspratt and her hard work, friendship, the Pattersons and their friendship towards Tom?
14. The trials and the illustration of how the sheep were rounded up, watching Dusty's work in the light of the first demonstration?
15. The dance and its friendliness, old-style dancing, music and song, cakes and sandwiches etc.? The feel for the town?
16. The past and the heritage of the pioneers, the farms, changes? Hard work? The city audience point of view on farm life? Real or romantic? The beauty of the country? Symbolism?
